Rotisserie attachments



Aug. 28, 1956 M. K. BOYAJIAN ROTISSERIE ATTACHMENTS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Aug. 3, 1953 INVENTOR. I

ArrazivzY Aug. 28, 1956 M. K. BOYAJIAN ROTISSERIE: ATTACHMENTS 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. s, 1953 TOR.

ATTOEZVEY Aug. 28, 1956 K. BOYAJIAN 2,760,428

ROTISSERIE ATTACHMENTS Filed Aug. 3, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. a

United States Patent ROTISSERIE ATTACHMENTS Misak K. Boyajian,Philadelphia, Pa.

Application August 3, 1953, Serial No. 371,920

6 Claims. (Cl. 99427) My invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in rotisserie attachments to be employed, especially, inconnection with the rotisserie disclosed in my co-pending applicationfiled May 14, 1953, Ser. No. 355,126 and also utilized as individualfood cookers independently of the apparatus shown in the above mentionedapplication.

An object of the present invention is to provide cooking utensils tohold articles of food, which cannot readily be placed on a spit orskewer, and adapted to be mounted on a removable shaft for presentingdifferent areas of the food progressively to a heat zone.

Another object of this invention is to construct .a gridiron of twoseparable sections whereby the same may be dissembled and packed in asmall space for storage or easy transportation, each section includingtwo, oppositely located food holding elements so that when the parts areassembled the sections cross each other at right angles and the holdingelements are at the ends of the arms.

Another object of the invention is to so construct each holding elementas to provide a relatively stationary member and a loosely hinged memberconnected to the stationary member and having means for temporarilyholding iron consisting of two similar sections each having laterallyspaced holding elements providing an opening in at least one of them forthe projection through said opening-of the other of said sections whichis slightly shorter than the first section, said holding elementsincluding companion grille members one of which is hinged to the other.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cylinder including asolid or foraminous circumferential and removably mounted on a rotatableshaft adjacent a heat zone, said cylinder adapted to contain food to becooked during rotation :of said cylinder. A further object .of theinvention is to provide bafiies the cylinder for agitating the articlesof food I therein.

7 A still further object .of this invention is :to provide various typesof closures for the access openipg to the cylinder; 7

With the above and other objects in View this invention consistsofcertain details of construction and combination of elements hereinafterset forth and the claims.

'In order that those skilled in the art to which this inventionvappertains may understand 'how to make and use the same I will describethe construction in detail referringby numerals to the accompanyingdrawing form ing a part hereof, in which: I I

Fig. 1 is aperspective view of one type of rotisserie shown in mycop'ending application with the spit rotators removed and the gridironmounted -on the rotary shaft.

then designated by Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section on an enlarged scaletaken at the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the gridiron sections and showingone of the hinged members of a element in an open position.

Fig. 4 is a similar view, in a different positiomcf other section whichis to be projected through the first section between the grille elementswhen the parts are assembled to complete the gridiron.

, Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of one of the movable or hinged membersof the food holding grille elements showing the latch keeper.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a cylinder to b EI movably mounted on arotatable shaft and depicting one type of closure which is partly brokenaway.

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a rotatable shaft illustrating how itcan be supported on individual stake supports inserted in the ground.

Fig. 9 is a detail side view of the shaft.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a cylinder showing another type ofclosure for the access opening.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary section at the line .',1'1--11 of i -10- Fig;12 is a similar section at the line 12 1 2 20f Fig. 10. Fig. :13 -is afurther enlarged view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of apart of the shaft and one of its supports.

In carrying out my invention as herein embodied reference will first bemade to Figs. 1 to ,5, inclusive, wherein 15 represents a fire potconstructed to hold burning wood, charcoal and the l ke .or otherheating elements such as electrical heating units mounted on theinterior surfaces of some of the fire pot walls and controlled byswitches, thermostats etc., to provide a heat zone. This fire pot isshown as mounted on a suitable supporting frame 16 having uprights 17 atopposite ends and in the upper ends of which are formed bearing'notches18 to re ceive the reduced and rounded journals 19, Fig. 13, of thesquare or other shaped rotatable shaft 20. The forward end of the shaftprojects some distance beyond thetforward end of the frame when a crankhandle 21 is to be used to rotate said shaft. The crank handlerepresents a means for transmitting motion to the shaft but other meanscan be utilized such as an electric motor and ap propriate gears. I

On one'end of the fire pot is a mutilated internal gear22 with whichpinions on spits or skewers (not shown) mesh to revolve the spits as theshaftis revolved and said spits are moved in a circle about the axis ofsaid shaft through the medium of discs 23 on the shaft and on which thespits are revolvably mounted. There is one disc adjacent each end of theshaft so as to be located on opposite sides of the mutilated gear, all:of which is fully shown and described in my aforementioned copendingapplication.

When using the attachments described herein the unemployed parts,particularly the spits with their pinions and thespit holding discs areremoved so that the shaft 20 projects through the mutilated gear. Inmounting or removing said shaft 20 it is merely passed through the openperimeter of said mutilated gear.

The gridiron attachment 24 comprises two sections 25 located betweenthem, are secured the relatively stationary grille members 31 which maybe in substantially the approximate thickness of articles clampedbetween cooperating stationary and swinging grille members which formthe holding element's,

Like the'first mentioned gridiron section the second section includestwo opposed and spaced collars 35, Fig. 4, also to pass over the shaft20 when aligned with the collars 27 as hereinafter explained and one orboth of saidcollars 35 have lugs 36, one lug projecting from the outerface of a single collar, to enter either notch 30 in the collars 27.1 Tothe second pair of collars 35, and located between them, are secured therelatively stationary grille members 37 which may be in substantiallythe same plane, Fig. 4, and laterally spaced apart to provide someopening 38 between the inner or back longitudinal edges thereof. Theopening-38 in the gridiron section 26 need not be aslarge as the opening32 in the section 25 because nothing passes through said opening 38while the second section 26'is to be projected into the opening 32. I

To the inner or back edges of the relatively stationary grille members'37 are loosely hinged the movable or swinging grille members 39 bymeans of hinge links or loops 40 which allow for considerable scope ofmovement between the parts to accommodate articles of food of differentthicknesses clamped between cooperating stationary and swinging grillemembers which form the holding elements of the second gridiron section.

The swinging grille members of each gridiron section are on oppositefaces of the respective stationary grille members. Specifically when agridiron section is in a 4 of the gridiron structure. .Next the shaft,with the grid iron thereon, is passed radially through the opening'intheperimeter of the mutilated gear and mounted on the up rights 17 with thejournals 19 resting in bearingnotches and said gridiron over and partlywithin the fire pot.

With one of the gridiron sections in a horizontal position the swinginggrille member of a holding element at one side of the fire pot can beunlatched and opened upwardly for placing the articles of food to becooked therein or for removing the cooked articles therefrom. During thecooking operations the various surfaces of the article of food arepassed through the heat zone by rotation of the shaft until thoroughlycooked.

In lieu of the uprights 17 other uprights 17a in the form of stakes tobe driven into the ground can be employed for supporting the shaft 20 onwhich any of the devices or attachments can be mounted. These stakelikeuprights have sharpened lower ends and are provided at the upper endswith the bearing notches 18a. In employing the stake-like uprights theyare driven into'the ground in properly spaced relation to receive theshaft journals 19 and a fire is built on the ground surface between theuprights whereby the fire pot may be dispensed with temporarily ifdesired.

By removing the gridiron from the shaft anothertype of attachment can beused for other forms of cooking. For example a cylindrical cookingutensil 47, Figs. 6 and 7, can be employed and includes end walls 48each hav-' ing an axial aperture 49, Fig. 7, surrounded by a hub 50;'Fig. 6, with a fastening-device 51, such as a screw, to

engage the shaft 20 for temporarily connecting the cylin- I material andsaid body has an access opening 53 normally horizontal plane theswinging grille member to one side of the center line is below itscompanion stationary grille member'while the swinging grille member onthe opposite side of the axial center of the gridiron section is aboveits associated stationary grille member. g I h As all of the swinginggrille members mustbe temporarily held in closed positions when articles'of food,

such as hamburgers, are placed in the holding elements for cookingoperations I have shown appropriate latches 41 for this purpose. Asherein shown, merely for pur poses of illustration, eachlatch iscomprised of a rod 42 pivotally or swingingly connected at its inner endto the 7 forward edge of a grille member, such as the stationary grillemember 31 of a holding element, and said rod has ahead 43 at its outerend. On the rod 42 is slidably mounted a quick-acting winged grippingmember 44 with aspring 45 between the head and said gripping member toconstantly urge the latter inwardly along therod." The forward edge ofthe other grille member, such as the swinging member 33, has anapertured' keeper 46,1Fig. 5; to receive the rod of a respective latchand be contacted by the spring pressed gripping member to temporarilyhold the grille members in a closed condition.

In assembling the gridiron sections one of them-,such as, section26,which is shorter thanIthe' other, as section 25, is projected into theopening, as 32, of said other section until the collars of both sectionsalign with one another. During this operation the lugs. 36 on one pairof collars will enter appropriate notches in the other pair of collarsand thus connect the two gridiron sections together temporarily. Thegridiron sections thus as sembled are substantially at right anglesto'each other and theholding elements comprised of the grille membersproject radially from the axial center of the gridiron and are evenlyspaced circumferentially.

The shaft 20 is projected through the aligned collars and the gridironfastened to said shaft by the fastening 29 on the collars which-arepositioned outwardly closed by a swinging door 54 hinged at 55contiguous one of the longitudinal edges of said access opening. 'Ihedoor is temporarily fastened in a closed position by asuitable catch 56.Preferably there are bafiles 57 'withinthe cylindric utensil and may bein the form of wires extending the full length of the interior with theends fixed to the end walls tubular body 62 of solid or foraminousmaterial. The

body has an access opening 63 therein located adjacent one end of theutensil and adjacentthe longitudinal edges of said opening are paralleltracks 64 in which is'slidably mounted the door 65 having a knob 66whereby the door may be slid to and fro for covering and uncovering thesaid access opening. Like the other type of cylindrical ing said shafton the uprights so that the utensil will be in the parts made into abundle for easy handling.-

the heat zone. After the articles to be cooked, such as popcorn, corn onthe cob and other foods that can be toasted or roasted in an enclosedcontainer, are placed in the cylinder through the access opening and thedoor closed. Subsequently the shaft with the cylindrical utensil thereonis revolved to progressively passthe tubular body surface through theheat oneuntil the articles of food are thoroughly'cooked. I

From the foregoing it will be apparent that after the shaft is withdrawnfrom the gridiron the sections thereof maybe dissembled and the wholeapparatus packed in'a small space for storage or transportation andlikewise the cylindrical utensils can be removed from the shaftand Byutiliz'inga number of different types of: attachments. for removablemounting on theshaft various formsiof foodstufis can be cooked toproduce savory meals indoors or outdoors.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and useful is:

1. In a device of the kind described, a rotary shaft, a gridironremovably assembled on said shaft, said gridiron comprised of twosections each consisting of a pair of holding elements spaced apart insubstantially the same plane and providing an opening between the spacedholding elements, one of said sections being slightly smaller than theother section for projection into and part way through the opening ofthe larger section, and hubs on the sections to receive the shaft.

2. A gridiron for assembly on a rotary shaft comprising two sectionseach including two aligned hubs and a pair of spaced holding elementsconnected to said hubs and located in substantially the same plane, thespacing of said holding elements providing an opening between them, oneof said sections being slightly larger than the other section wherebythe smaller section can be projected into and part way through saidlarger section for aligning all of the hubs to receive a shaft, andmeans on said hubs to assist in aligning them and holding the sectionsat substantially right angles to each other.

3. The gridiron as set forth in claim 2 wherein each holding elementincludes a substantially stationary grille member fixed to one pair ofhubs, a swinging grille member, means to loosely hinge the swinginggrille member along one edge to the corresponding edge of its respectivestationary grille member, and latch means to temporarily retain theswinging grille member in a closed position relative to the stationarygrille member.

4. The gridiron as set forth in claim 2 wherein the means on the hubs toassist in aligning them and holding the sections in predeterminedrelative locations consists of lugs projecting from outer faces of thehubs of the smaller section and peripheral notches on the hubs of theother gridiron section to receive said lugs.

5. The gridiron as set forth in claim 3 wherein each latch meanscomprises an adjustable gripping member associated with the stationarygrille member, and a keeper on the swinging grille member for coactionwith the gripping member of the latch means.

6. In a device of the character described, a rotary shaft, a gridironremovably mounted on said shaft and comprising two separable sectionseach including two hubs and two holding members fixed to theirrespective hubs, the holding members of each section lying in a commonplane and spaced edgewise in the region of the hubs to provide anopening between them, one of said sections being slightly smaller thanthe other section whereby said smaller section may be projected part waythrough the opening of said other section for aligning all of the hubs,said holding members each including a relatively stationary grillemember and a swinging grille member loosely hinged to the relativelystationary grille member at the edge adjacent the shaft, and a springlatch attached to one of said grille members for cooperation with thecompanion member to temporarily hold them in closed condition witharticles between them under resilient pressure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,517,795 Morrison Dec. 2, 1924 1,733,766 Wilkowski Oct 29, 19292,004,775 Wright June 11, 1935 2,039,541 Lekometros May 5, 19362,158,341 Thau May 16, 1939 2,552,621 Clay May 15, 1951 2,566,524Kamrnins Sept. 4, 1951 2,629,314 Varady Feb. 24, 1953

